Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-17
Proved by Careful Investiga-
ton at the Works.
1mpossibility Of Contamina-
tion From Surface
Water.
The Wells Connected by Deep.
ly Buried Pipes.
The Seepage Theory a Gross
Absurdity.

the Seepdge Theory a GrOsS
Absurdity.
Tho report OF the Health Committee on
the Silver Bow Waterworks, presented to
the City Council on December 1, laid par
,icular stress on the statement hat the
company had dug q trench outside of the
hump house, to collect surface water, and
carry it to the well within the building, to
be forced into the reservoir for distribu-
ton through the city. This point was re-
yerted to over and over. as 'the seepage
aow into the pump station tank" and the
only inference hat could be drawn from a
~perusal OF the report was, that seepage
water was actually collected in an open
ditch and allowed to flow into the well in
. the pump house. After 1.-The seepage flow
into the pump station tank" had been SO
often referred to as to brand the words on
the brain OF the reader, the matter was
unmarried as follows: 'Strange and un-
accountable as it may appear, this very
wealthy corporation has
MOST COLLECTED
and safely conducted q body of surface
water, ~variously estimated at from three
TO five inches, miners measurement,
amounting to not less than so, 900 gallons
ner day, into the pump station tank, to
mingle with the s~ubterranean water and be
numped into the distributing reservoirs,
and from these given to the public for gen
eral use.'' As this statement was made by
committee who said they had carefully
investigated the affairs at the pump house,
THE MINER representative. who had visited
the pump house after DR.. Hough's first re.
mort on the subject, was Utmost convinced
that he had overlooked one very import.
ant feature of the water supply. He was
certain that he had not seen any ditch
CARRYING SURFACE WATER
into the tank, but had noticed a stream Of
pure water running down hill from the
pump house to the creek. Undetermined to
make a more thorough examination, but
nut it off until the matter was reviewed by
the Inter Mountain on Monday. Yester-
day he vent down to the pump house, and
found j. F. Kramer just starting up the
big Knowles pump, which is occasionally
stoned to give the citizens a chance to
lower the water in the reservoirs. The
citizens nave used the same water right
along, Notwithstanding all the aspersione
cast upon it, and those who are supplied
with such a pure article may well DO con-
graduated. The reporter told Mr.. Kramer
that he wanted to see the ditch conveying
surface water into the tank. Mr.. Kramer
said, there is
NO SUCH DITCH,
and no surface water can get into the tank.
The only water that can possibly reach the
tank from outside is conveyed from two
wells sunk in the bench outside Of the build
ing by a boxed conduit that is twelve feet
deep in the clay. Come outside and you
can see how it is." They went outside
and followed the line OF a series OF excava.
tons that had been filled in before the re.
~porter's first visit. He observed that there
had been no continuous excavation. but a
series of holes at regular intervals. between
which the earth had never been disturbed.
Mr.. Kramer explained it asfollows: These
holes were twelve feet deep, and there was
no water in them. They were dug to lay
the pipe connecting the wells with each
other. Here, you see. there was a larger
hole. 1t is q we'll, and it was sunk twenty
three or twenty-four feet before striking
water At that depth we struck a vein OF
q%uicksand, and
THE "A1En I'LL
from the bottom, filling up the well and
running over, down the slope to the creek.
This is the only well we dug besides that
in the pump house, which struck water at
the same depth. This well is covered with
heavy plank, and twelve feet OF clay
tamped down on top OF it. Now you see
there are more of the smaller notes. anu
at the farthest end of the diggings here we
drove an eight-inch pipe down to the same
level as the two wells, and struck a no" VI
water. The top OF the pipe is now Twelve
feet under the clay, and runs !1to .he
wooden conduit, which was iaiu 't ~
through we'll number 2, and 20 the
well in the pump house.. The conduit was
laid by tunnelling from one o to an.
other and it was then tamped down tlgnt
with sods, and with clay on top OF the
sods. 1t lies at least
TWELVE FEE DEEP
throughout and at some points IL Il
deeper. OF course no seepage could get IN
to the iron pipe, and everybody who knows
ANYTHING about such clay as his would al
once conclude that no seepage could ks
at the d-nth of the conduit, and no surlace
water could possibly reach it. You set
there is no sand or gravel here, and tnoug1
there is q little grit in the surface grounu
it is so mixed with clay that no nov :;
water could pass through It.: Inc wen :,
the building is planked up tight. WEI ~, ~,
the inside as tightly as it could be done
and #, ia now a water-tight box. ~
water in this we'll boiled up from the cen!e
and carried up some Sane aud MICA wiz
f. We built a box around the spring 81
ieet h;sbs The water soon filled the DO;
and Aowed over on all sides, filling the We
aud running over, as you see, three ieo
above the level OF the creek.
THE SUCTION PIPE
hangs eleven feet deep in the we'll, so II an
impurities could possibly reach the sur'ae
they would simply flow out WIN 'ne "ao
water and couldn't possibly be pu"pe
into the reservoir. We pumped TINS we we
empty once and it did not affect Ine ~
from well No. 2. We pumped wen 49, osso
dry at another time and IT. oiu no tba,
the flow from this one, SO 1t Is cleal 80 ,.
thonob the water was tapped by pocn .
the same depth-23 or "a ieet-tnere 10 ~ y
immediate connection between them' m
two wells are about 100 feet apart. 80 =,
Stratum of impervious clay reaches 80
the floor of the pump house to the oo1Oo
Of the well. Here, / will prove IL TO yoo
Mr.. Kramer then took out a co"p hov
boards of the flooring and with q sn uo
dug through an inch or two OF too0o nfo
tar that had been scattered on inc 7
when the brick furnaces were bul'' Z
then
STRUCK THE CLAY,
a piece OF which could be mou' leu '
hand like a piece OF putty. and seemed
be exactly the same as III close,gl
clay known as 'sluice robber' IN so'
placer mines. 1t is 80 called for the re s1
that it will not dissolve. even 10 ~ :
current OF water, but rolls through ae1d !
sluices in Jumps, gathering up en nIa s a
it goes. The reporter made ciose a a
thorough examination OF the premises, q
was more than ever satisfied OF the heal abs ~ r
ty OF the assertions that nave been . T ah'
about the water. He had mace h q III =;
ough examination at the tilne :. nvev
"the seenage into the pump station tan